Common WordPress Hooks Reference
Quick reference for the most commonly used WordPress hooks in plugin development.
Action Hooks
Plugin Lifecycle
| Hook |
When It Fires |
Use For |
plugins_loaded |
After all plugins loaded |
Init plugin functionality |
init |
WordPress initialization |
Register post types, taxonomies |
admin_init |
Admin initialization |
Register settings |
wp_loaded |
WordPress fully loaded |
Late initialization |
Admin Hooks
| Hook |
When It Fires |
Use For |
admin_menu |
Admin menu creation |
Add admin pages |
admin_enqueue_scripts |
Admin assets loading |
Enqueue admin CSS/JS |
admin_notices |
Admin notices display |
Show admin messages |
save_post |
After post saved |
Save custom data |
add_meta_boxes |
Meta boxes registration |
Add meta boxes |
Frontend Hooks
| Hook |
When It Fires |
Use For |
wp_enqueue_scripts |
Frontend assets loading |
Enqueue CSS/JS |
wp_head |
In <head> section |
Add meta tags, styles |
wp_footer |
Before </body> |
Add scripts, analytics |
template_redirect |
Before template loaded |
Redirects, custom templates |
the_content (filter) |
Post content display |
Modify post content |
AJAX Hooks
| Hook |
Use For |
wp_ajax_{action} |
Logged-in AJAX |
wp_ajax_nopriv_{action} |
Public AJAX |
REST API
| Hook |
When It Fires |
Use For |
rest_api_init |
REST API init |
Register REST routes |
Filter Hooks
Content Filters
| Hook |
What It Filters |
Common Use |
the_content |
Post content |
Add/modify content |
the_title |
Post title |
Modify titles |
the_excerpt |
Post excerpt |
Customize excerpts |
comment_text |
Comment text |
Modify comments |
Query Filters
| Hook |
What It Filters |
Common Use |
pre_get_posts |
Query before execution |
Modify queries |
posts_where |
SQL WHERE clause |
Custom WHERE |
posts_orderby |
SQL ORDER BY |
Custom sorting |
Admin Filters
| Hook |
What It Filters |
Common Use |
manage_{post_type}_posts_columns |
Admin columns |
Add columns |
admin_footer_text |
Admin footer text |
Custom footer |
Hook Priority
Default priority is 10. Lower numbers run first.
Resources
